Poll: Official 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix Race Thread - Sakhir Circuit - Race 1/23

[adam cool dude]

Unless they get upgrades that will get them to compete but it's a big ask

Can't see Ferrari catching up other than maybe depending on few tracks or conditions to make it close

Overall can see redbull running away with it maybe even record points ?

Embarrassing for Mercedes with Aston using it's engine/ gearbox etc and being faster

No one is catching up a 40 second deficit this season or most likely the next until the next rule changes come in. Redbull have got a peach of an engine now, one of the best drivers and the best chassis. Season is over. The only hope you can have is that Max gets a driver in that can compete for championships like with Nico and Hamilton as apart from them fighting it out that era was a borefest as well.

 

[Mr Jack]

I was half tempted, whilst half-asleep watching the race, to work out what is the earliest Max could be crowned champion, assuming an RB 1-2 every race. Is it before the summer break?

If Alonso comes 3rd at every race then Max gains 10pts per race (11 if he gets the fastest lap, but I don't think that's very likely as those usually go to drivers who stop off-schedule and I think RB will cruise to victory instead). To mathematically win he's needs one more point than is available in the remaining races, so we have (where x is number of races completed):

x*10 >= (23-x)*26 + 1

Solving for x gives x >= 17, so he'd win at Suzuka. However, that's assuming that Alonso comes 3rd at every race - if we share out those points a bit, he'd win a race earlier.

Edit It occurs to me that the person he'd have to mathematically beat is not Alonso but Pérez, which would make it x*7 >= (23-x)*26 + 1, which comes out as x >= 19, so he'd win it at The Circuit of the Americas at the US GP.

 

[uscool]

No one is catching up a 40 second deficit this season or most likely the next until the next rule changes come in. Redbull have got a peach of an engine now, one of the best drivers and the best chassis. Season is over. The only hope you can have is that Max gets a driver in that can compete for championships like with Nico and Hamilton as apart from them fighting it out that era was a borefest as well.

Yup resigned myself to that and interested to see what happens with battles below them with Aston Martin and Ferrari maybe Mercedes will have it's moments

 

[iamtheoneneo]

Does anyone know what McLaren were up to all winter as it doesn’t seem that they spent it developing their car.

Trying to superglue their cars together it seems.. I can't see Lando staying if its going to be like this for another year. At this point nearly every other team has a better car.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Unless they get upgrades that will get them to compete but it's a big ask

Can't see Ferrari catching up other than maybe depending on few tracks or conditions to make it close

Overall can see redbull running away with it maybe even record points ?

Embarrassing for Mercedes with Aston using it's engine/ gearbox etc and being faster

Toto is on record as saying that the W14 doesn’t have the downforce they hoped for, so it looks like Mercedes messed up on the aero front again.

 

[Scam]

I can't see Lando staying if its going to be like this for another year. At this point nearly every other team has a better car.

Has Lando come out and said much? If so it's passed me by. The impression I get from him is that he's a good driver and maybe a nice guy, but maybe a bit prone to getting distracted by the fame and celebrity (and money) of F1 and would be happy as long as he's racing and getting paid handsomely for it.

 

[uscool]

Toto is on record as saying that the W14 doesn’t have the downforce they hoped for, so it looks like Mercedes messed up on the aero front again.

I know they have upgrades to come but can they ditch it or its just too late ? And with budget caps ?

Aston Martin being faster whilst using it's engine/gearbox must hurt

 

[Thomas. PLease.]

I know they have upgrades to come but can they ditch it or its just too late ? And with budget caps ?

Aston Martin being faster whilst using it's engine/gearbox must hurt

Toto interviews post race seemed to indicate they’re ditching the current concept altogether and changing plans for what seems to be that exact reason.

 

[Greboth]

Surely it isn’t as simple as just changing concept though? Mercedes obviously don’t have the correlation between their CFD and the real car. So even straight up copying Red Bull wouldn’t do much without being able to know what works before putting it on the car.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Have Mercedes lost key aero/design people over the last 2 years? While they’ve never been as good as RBR (who have a resident genius), they did used to understand why their chassis behaved the way it did.

 

[Kenai]

Have Mercedes lost key aero/design people over the last 2 years? While they’ve never been as good as RBR (who have a resident genius), they did used to understand why their chassis behaved the way it did.

Their Chief Aerodynamicist of several years moved to Aston Martin last year IIRC.

 

[chrismscotland]

Has Lando come out and said much? If so it's passed me by. The impression I get from him is that he's a good driver and maybe a nice guy, but maybe a bit prone to getting distracted by the fame and celebrity (and money) of F1 and would be happy as long as he's racing and getting paid handsomely for it.

I think it was Will Buxton who reported that Lando had gone into the garage/team office during testing and punched the wall.
Not said much though, no idea where he would go though unless a seat opens up at Merc

 

[chrismscotland]

Have Mercedes lost key aero/design people over the last 2 years? While they’ve never been as good as RBR (who have a resident genius), they did used to understand why their chassis behaved the way it did.

They've lost a lot of staff over the last couple of years - Dan Fallows (now head Designer at AMR), a lot of their engine techs have left either for Red Bull Powertrains or left the sport

To be honest the seem to have been a bit pig headed with the zero side-pods approach, even Lewis seems to be pretty openly questioning them for it now

 

[Scam]

they did used to understand why their chassis behaved the way it did.

To be fair last year (and it's the only thing that might make me watch a few races) there was a lot of shuffling in the pack depending on the track. Some cars were super-pacey on one track, yet absolute dog turd on another.

Their Chief Aerodynamicist of several years moved to Aston Martin last year IIRC.

Well that'd quite telling

I think it was Will Buxton who reported that Lando had gone into the garage/team office during testing and punched the wall.
Not said much though, no idea where he would go though unless a seat opens up at Merc

But didn't he just sign up for another four years with them? No wonder he was punching the wall!

 

[chrismscotland]

To be fair last year (and it's the only thing that might make me watch a few races) there was a lot of shuffling in the pack depending on the track. Some cars were super-pacey on one track, yet absolute dog turd on another.

Well that'd quite telling

But didn't he just sign up for another four years with them? No wonder he was punching the wall!

Yeah he's got quite a long contract, although I'd imagine its probably got some clauses in it, to be fair if someone is willing to pay to get him out of it the contract doesn't mean much anyway

 

[Armageus]

Have Mercedes lost key aero/design people over the last 2 years? While they’ve never been as good as RBR (who have a resident genius), they did used to understand why their chassis behaved the way it did.

Their Chief Aerodynamicist of several years moved to Aston Martin last year IIRC.

They've lost a lot of staff over the last couple of years - Dan Fallows (now head Designer at AMR), a lot of their engine techs have left either for Red Bull Powertrains or left the sport

Not sure who Mercedes lost in the aero department, but Dan Fallows moved from Red Bull to Aston Martin

(hence causing the following statement from Red Bull)

Red Bull aim digs at Aston Martin: “Good to see the old car doing so well..."

Could Red Bull vs Aston Martin emerge as the big rivalry of F1 2023?

www.crash.net

 

[Kenai]

Not sure who Mercedes lost in the aero department

Mercedes Chief Aerodynamicist Eric Blandin to join Aston Martin in 2022 | Formula 1®

Aston Martin have confirmed that Mercedes' Chief Aerodynamicist Eric Blandin will join the team in 2022.

www.formula1.com

Aston Martin have confirmed that Mercedes' Chief Aerodynamicist Eric Blandin will join the team in 2022.

Blandin headed up aero teams at Red Bull from 2005-09, Ferrari from 2010-11 and joined Mercedes to become their Principal Aerodynamicist in 2011 before being promoted to Chief Aerodynamicist in 2017. The Silver Arrows won seven consecutive constructors' championships from 2014 and are leading the 2021 standings by five points.

An Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Eric Blandin will begin working for Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team next year. His exact start date is not yet confirmed. The transition from Mercedes AMG F1 Team to ourselves will be an amicable one.”

 

[chrismscotland]

Not sure who Mercedes lost in the aero department, but Dan Fallows moved from Red Bull to Aston Martin

(hence causing the following statement from Red Bull)

Red Bull aim digs at Aston Martin: “Good to see the old car doing so well..."

Could Red Bull vs Aston Martin emerge as the big rivalry of F1 2023?

www.crash.net

Sorry your totally right - doh! It was Blandin as @Kenai has pointed out!

 

[MissChief]

To be fair last year (and it's the only thing that might make me watch a few races) there was a lot of shuffling in the pack depending on the track. Some cars were super-pacey on one track, yet absolute dog turd on another.

Well that'd quite telling

But didn't he just sign up for another four years with them? No wonder he was punching the wall!

He signed for three years before the season started last year so this is his second year. I can’t imagine anyone would sign for that long without some sort of performance clause, especially on McLaren’s side for Lando. If the car, or Lando isn’t in, say, the top 8 by the summer break or perhaps a few races after that he may be free to break the contract. Not sure where he could go, but if Lewis has had enough then a George/Lando Mercedes super team appeals to me.

 

[Kenai]

He signed for three years before the season started last year

I think it was effectively four years? Contracted through the 2025 season.